Rosethorn's Adventure
Intro I am well aware that there are many unfinished fanfictions on this wiki, mine being no exception. But this story I actually have handwritten cliffnotes for, so I already have it all planned out from beginning to end! This will hopefully produce a faster-finished fic than my others. I will be publishing it chapter-by-chapter. Anyway, this fanfic was created by me and my friend D'Arcy. It is centered around our OC's, Rosethorn (hers) and Owlfeather (mine), but this being D'Arcy's first Warriors thing, her character takes center stage. (Note: This is not a collaboration between us - I'm the only author. She's writing a spinoff about another character that appears at the end). Allegiances THUNDERCLAN Leader: Bramblestar-dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes Deputy: Squirrelflight-dark ginger she-cat with green eyes Medicine Cat: Jayfeather-gray tabby tom with blind blue eyes Warriors: Dustpelt-dark brown tabby tom Sandstorm-pale ginger she-cat with green eyes Brackenfur-golden brown tabby tom Cloudtail-long-haired white tom with blue eyes Brightheart-white she-cat with ginger patches Millie-striped gray tabby she-cat with blue eyes Leafpool-light brown tabby she-cat with amber eyes, former medicine cat Spiderleg-long-limbed black tom with brown underbelly and amber eyes Birchfall-light brown tabby tom Whitewing-white she-cat with green eyes Berrynose-cream-colored tom (mate to Whiteflower and father of Leopardkit) Hazeltail-small gray-and-white she-cat Mousewhisker-gray-and-white tom (mate to Sleetpatch and father of Dimpledkit and Owlkit) Cinderheart-gray tabby she-cat Lionblaze-golden tabby tom with amber eyes Foxleap-reddish tabby tom (mate to Forestdusk and father of Mintkit, Lilykit, Pouncekit, Emberkit, Mossykit and Brownkit) Icecloud-white she-cat Toadstep-black-and-white tom Rosepetal-dark cream she-cat Briarlight-dark brown she-cat Blossomfall-tortoiseshell and white she-cat Bumblestripe-very pale gray tom with black stripes Dovewing-pale gray she-cat with blue eyes Ivypool-silver-and-white tabby she-cat with dark blue eyes Queens: ' Sorreltail-tortoiseshell-and-white she-cat with amber eyes (mother to Lilykit, a dark tabby she-kit with white patches, and Seedkit, a very pale ginger she-kit) Daisy-cream long-furred cat from the horseplace Poppyfrost-tortoiseshell she-cat (mother to Cherrykit, a ginger she-cat, and Molekit, a brown-and-cream tom) Sleetpatch – smallish, long pale gray she-cat with black blotches and yellow eyes (mother to Owlkit, a gray-and-white she-cat with yellow eyes and Dimpledkit, a black tom with one blue eye, one green eye and a white belly, paws and eartips) Forestdusk – tortoiseshell tabby she-cat with blue eyes (mate to Foxleap and mother of Mintkit, a coco-brown tabby tom with a dark streak above one green eye, Lilykit, Brownkit, Emberkit, Pouncekit and Mossykit) Whiteflower – young, snappy pure white she-cat with dark gray stripes and orange eyes (mate to Berrynose and mother of Leopardkit-sleek dark gray tom with blue eyes) '''Elders: ' Purdy-very old, skinny tabby former loner with a gray muzzle Thornclaw-golden brown tabby tom Graystripe-long-haired gray tom '''Cats Outside the Clans: Floss-small gray-and-white she-cat who lives in a barn at the horseplace (mother to three kits – Bryana, Lillian and Forrest) Ginger – plump ginger tom that lives in a barn at the horseplace Webby – old, striped gray tom with green eyes that lives in a barn at the horseplace Scarlet – red tabby she-cat with a torn ear that lives in a barn at the horseplace Rose-fluffy white kittypet kitten with black spots and blue eyes that lives in a house at the horseplace Chapter 1 A small white kitten lay on an old wooden plank. She licked her soft, fluffy coat clean as the early winter sun’s rays warmed her black-spotted, cottony pelt. She stretched one leg out, causing the gold bell on her bright pink collar to jangle quietly – the noise could be startling, for much was silent at Hare Hill Riding Stables, except for the trotting of horses’ hooves and the occasional birdcall. The kitten, Rose, stood up and shook out her luxurious coat. Life as a house cat at the ranch was simple and nice – her housefolk, who consisted of a male owner, a female and their adolescent kit, made sure their pet got everything she wanted, when she wanted, and exactly how she wanted it. They had bought Rose from a moggy breeder two months ago, and she was now four months of age. The fluffy kit yawned, stretched and glanced around at the now-familiar surroundings. There was the brick cottage, along with the horse pen, the old barn, the shed, the equine shelter and Pip’s kennel. Pip was a small, yappy black-and-white dog that lived with the young she-cat. He had terrified her at first, but they got along okay now. Tolerated each other, at least. Rose enjoyed watching the horses, and she knew a few cats lived in the barn. It wasn’t used by housefolk anymore, and was rotting and filled with cracks and holes, along with tall piles of dust-covered, mouldy hay acting as furniture for the stray cats and mice that inhabited it. Rose occasionally entered the barn and chilled out on the golden-brown straw stacks with Floss, Ginger, Scarlet, Webby and Floss’s five-month-old kits, Bryana, Lillian and Forrest. Her mate, Smoky, had died before the black-and-white kittypet arrived at the stables. Rose suddenly heard her adolescent owner call her name from the house. The little cat whipped around, smelling food. Her blonde-haired housefolk member placed a small bowl on the cement and went back inside the cottage. Licking her lips and purring, Rose began padding relaxedly toward her noon meal; she wasn’t in a rush. She never was – except to get away from the sharp, brittle hairbrush that her people used to comb her soft fur. ''I can do that on my own, thanks. Halfway to the pavement, Rose abruptly halted. She thought she’d seen movement on the other side of the wire mesh fence. Nah. She continued walking to her bowl. The scent of chicken gravy was making her fluffy, dark-flecked belly growl. Then she saw a flash of white and stopped again, heart beating rapidly. It’s just your imagination. She heard a weak section of the tall metal border groan, and creak sharply as claws slid across. Okay, must be someone from the barn. But Rose suddenly smelled an unfamiliar aroma. Cat-scent, mixed with that of pinesap, mud and leaves. What? None of the barn cats smell like that. The fence groaned again and the kitten turned, trembling slightly, to face the new feline. This creature was shockingly big – bigger even than Ginger. Huge muscles bulged from under his pure white coat, which was covered in brutal old battle scars. His giant paws, along with his ears, were jet-black, and he had a long, ragged tail. His amber eyes glowed with confidence. Shoulders high, he strolled into Rose’s yard, obviously full of knowledge that he could squash anyone that got in his way. “H-hey!” she managed to choke out, heart still pounding a million times a minute. "Who are you? What are you doing here?" The muscular cat whirled to face her. “Oh, a little kittypet,” he snorted, baring his sharp teeth, and then answered her questions. “I am Blackstar, leader of ShadowClan. And I’m here to take your food, and the rest when you are served it throughout leaf-bare. As a leader, I need as much energy as I can get, to fend for my Clan through the coming moon – even if it means breaking the warrior code a few times.” He turned and continued to pad in the direction of the cottage. However, he had a bit of a skulk to his gait. He kept his enormous body low and kept looking around, as if keeping an eye out for someone who might attack him. Kittypet? ShadowClan? Leaf-bare? Warrior code? What do all these things mean? Frightened, Rose remembered hearing about the four forest Clans from Floss, but had never met a cat that was part of any of them. Are they all this big and scary? She quickly shook herself. Stop thinking and act. I need to defend my food, otherwise this Blackstar will steal it. Rose glanced around in hope of assistance. But there were no cats around to help her; they were all either away or inside the barn. How am I going to defeat Blackstar? He’s so much bigger and stronger than me. The kittypet narrowed her sea-blue eyes. But I have to try. Without stopping to judge his position or prepare a battle move, Rose started running straight at him. It was when she was a mere few paces away from her target that she realized this attack was completely unplanned. This ShadowClan cat is going to maul me. But there was no turning back now. The young cat leapt into the air and landed on Blackstar’s snow-coloured back. She felt her small, delicate paws hit his broad, tough shoulders and thick, coarse fur, and clearly knew that she had bitten off much, much more than she could chew. Rose felt the wild tom jump beneath her, surprised at the impact. He instinctively reared up on his long, muscular legs, easily throwing the kitten off. She landed headfirst on the ground and skidded along the short green grass. Blackstar spun around, claws unsheathed and teeth bared. Growling ferociously, he charged toward her, forepaws outstretched, and slashed across her face. Agony seared through Rose’s skin, and she felt warm blood trickle from the new wounds. This is the end. But I’m not going out without a fight! The kittypet jumped up and hissed, lunging at the tomcat’s night-coloured ear. She missed by a long shot, and felt more claws rake across her own ears. She screeched in pain as Blackstar grabbed her by the scruff, shook her like a piece of prey, and spat her out, sending his small enemy flying across the yard. He then pounced on her, sinking his long claws into her shoulders. Blood seeped out and pooled on the grass, turning it scarlet. Suddenly, Rose felt Blackstar’s weight lifted off her. She struggled to her paws and blinked away the bright red fluid to see Ginger fighting the Clan leader. They were screeching and yowling, slashing each other endlessly, until the white tom abruptly gained the advantage and pushed Ginger over. He quickly bit the orange tabby’s throat, and it bled heavily. Blackstar climbed off as the loner gave one last strangled cry and lay still. Horrified and frozen to the spot, the house cat watched as the victorious cat calmly turned around, then raced toward the kit, kicking up grass as he went. He rammed into her with an enormous amount of force and clawed her neck once, then bent so low she could smell his rancid breath and whispered in her ear. "Goodnight, kitty." Chapter 2 ''Rose woke to bright sunshine glaring down upon her. She jumped up, blinking in the cool light. Her back and head ached, and she was strangely dizzy. What happened to me? The kitten looked around and noticed a pile of orange on the grass nearby. She narrowed her eyes, peering at it, until she saw two glazed blue eyes and realized she was looking at the dead body of Ginger! The realization brought all the terrible memories pouring back. Blackstar, his threat, their battle, him slashing Ginger’s throat and ramming into her… He must’ve knocked me out! How long was I sleeping for? It doesn’t seem that much later – the sun’s still up, at least. Half an hour maybe? Ugh, nevermind. I have to go to my friend! Rose sprinted over to the ginger tabby shape, still a little shaky on her small white paws, and halted once she reached him. The fluffy kit bent over Ginger, dark cyan hues glittering with sadness. No, he can’t be dead! He tried to save me! He was so kind and welcoming – he caught me a mouse once, showed me around the barn, told me stories.... he was like the father I never had. The house cat buried her small pink nose into the loner’s fur, which was already cold and stank of death. ---- Twenty minutes later, she stood up and shook out her fur. For the first time she realized it was caked in dry blood. Her wounds began to sting, though the throbbing inner pain had faded a bit. My pain doesn’t matter right now, ''Rose thought, being selfless for the first time in her life. ''What does matter is getting Ginger’s body to safety…I’m not leaving it out here for crows to peck at. As the kitten struggled to drag the dead tom across the yard, she noticed her food bowl – empty. Looks like I might go hungry tonight. No, of course I won’t. I’ll just ask my housefolk for another meal. '' After a few minutes, Rose dropped Ginger at the door of the barn. She pushed it inside about a mouse-length, seeing Floss and Webby asleep on top of the hay. The black-and-white kittypet thought about waking them up and telling them, but eventually decided against it. They could find out themselves…the kit didn’t reckon she could handle informing them of their companion’s death. Rose turned and headed toward the cottage, but stopped suddenly. ''I can’t just hide with my owners like a coward – I’ll get my food stolen until winter’s over, if that’s what the white cat meant by leaf-bare. No, I need to go out and find Blackstar, and avenge Ginger’s death. '' Having made up her mind, the young kittypet whipped around and started toward the fence. ''Look out, ShadowClan. No matter what I have to do, no matter how long it takes, I ''am going to kill your leader.'' ---- About three hours later, Rose found herself trudging through marshes. It had been hard work, and she’d travelled perhaps a mile. The kitten was now knee-deep in mud, and had to jump over streams. There were hardly any trees, and she was shivering from a short swim through a river.'' Is this where Blackstar lives? I hope not; I couldn’t face him like this. I need a place to sleep; the sun’s starting to go down, and it’s colder than ever. Breath clouding at her muzzle, Rose padded on. As she did, her collar snagged on a bush. The kitten struggled, trying to escape, and was eventually thrown away into the mud with a loud ''snap!. Rose looked down and saw her pink collar, now dirty and mangled. Oh well. It gets itchy sometimes anyway. When I return to my housefolk they can just get me another one. '' After some more walking, he came across a patch of dry land and collapsed on it, panting. She raked some grass and leaves together, making a bed, and curled up in it, fluffing her spotted fur against the chill. She swiftly fell into a deep sleep. A while onward, Rose felt something prodding her. “Go away,” she muttered, and was jabbed harder. She climbed sleepily to her paws and glanced around, coming face-to-face with two huge, dripping wet, battle-scarred cats. Chapter 3 ''TBC